Japan Week Ahead: Diet Set to Enact Stop-Gap Budget, Continues Debating Record Spending in Fiscal 2026 Budget amid Spike in Oil Prices
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. Lawmakers are set to approve a stop-gap budget to ensure uninterrupted social security payments and other essential spending while undergoing the final process of debating and enacting the full-year budget for fiscal 2026 starting April 1. Just as many households […]
Preview: Japan February Factory Output Forecast to Slip Back After Hitting 31-Month High in January, Retail Sales Seen Sluggish on Falling Fuel Prices
By Chikafumi Hodo Tuesday, March 310850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Monday, March 30) The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry releases preliminary February industrial production, the outlook for March, April.Mace News median: -2.0% m/m (range: -3.5% to -0.5%) vs. Jan revised to +4.3% from +2.2%; +0.4% y/y (range: -1.2% to +1.9%) vs. Jan revised to +0.7% from […]
Preview: Japan’s March Tokyo CPI Forecast to Show Tame Core and Overall Inflation Below BOJ’s 2% Target on Energy Subsidies, Easing Food Markups
By Chikafumi Hodo Tuesday, March 310830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Monday, March 30) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases March, fiscal 2025 average Tokyo CPI.Mace News median: total CPI +1.6% y/y (range: +1.4% to +1.6%) vs. Feb +1.6%; core CPI (ex-fresh food) +1.8% (range: +1.6% to +1.9%) vs. Feb +1.8%; core-core CPI (ex-fresh food, energy) […]
Preview: Japan February Unemployment Rate Forecast to Remain at 2.7%, Lowest Among G7, Focus on Payrolls After 1st Drop in Nearly 4 Years in January
By Chikafumi Hodo Tuesday, March 310830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Monday, March 30) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases the February unemployment rate.Mace News median: 2.7% (range: 2.6% to 2.7%) vs. 2.7% in Jan; 2.6% from Aug to Dec, over 5-year low of 2.3% in July, 2.5% from March to June TOKYO (MaceNews) […]
Japan Warns Mideast War Top Risk to Its Gradual Economic Recovery Outlook as Jitters Over Trade Rows Have Eased, Downgrades View on U.S. Economy
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese government leaders remain cautiously optimistic about their gradual economic recovery scenario but warned that the Mideast war is now the biggest source of global uncertainty while downgrading its view on the U.S. economy for the first time in 10 months. In its monthly report for March released Friday by […]
Preview: Forecasters See Slower Japan CPI for February on Lower Energy Prices, Utilities
(Nationwide CPI) Tuesday, March 24, 20260830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Thursday, March 23) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases February CPI.Mace News median: total CPI +1.5% y/y (range: +1.3% to +1.5%) vs. Jan +1.5%; core CPI (ex-fresh food) +1.7% y/y (range: +1.6% to +1.8%) vs. Jan +2.0%; core-core CPI (ex-fresh food, energy) +2.7% […]
Japan Week Ahead: PM Takaichi Back to Inflation Fighting after Performing in Trump Diplomatic Theater; February Core CPI Seen Drifting Below BOJ’s 2%, Calm Before Iran War Storm
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. Following last week’s majority decision by the Bank of Japan’s board to pause in its gradual rate hike process, CPI data for February is forecast to show core inflation moderated to an annual rate below the bank’s 2% target as […]
Preview: Forecasters See Drop in Japanese Capex Spending in January Report
0850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Wednesday, March 18) The Cabinet Office releases January machinery orders.Mace News median: core orders -11.0% m/m (range: -13.9% to -5.5%) vs. Dec +19.1%; +9.7% y/y (range: +6.2% to +16.0%) vs. Dec +16.8% By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s core machinery orders, a key leading indicator of business investment in […]
Preview: Forecasters See Slower Japanese Export Growth in February Report
0850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Tuesday, March 17) The Ministry of Finance releases February trade.Mace News median: exports +1.6% y/y (range: -3.5% to +4.0%) vs. January +16.8%; imports +12.5% y/y (range: +9.1% to +16.2%) vs. a revised -2.4% in January from -2.5%; trade deficit ¥516.95 billion (range: a deficit of ¥660.00 billion to a surplus […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Set to Hold Policy Rate amid Uncertainty over Mideast War’s Impact on Inflation, Growth; PM Takaischi Pushing for Swift Budget Approval
–Board Expected to Repeat BOJ Needs to Raise Rates Further After December Hike, 4th in Normalization Process That Ueda Launched in March 2024 By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. The government is pushing its record-high annual budget through the Diet to keep the economy afloat while […]